As much as I like Android I don’t think a clear winner helps the market. Companies need competition to sometimes imitate but often to innovate.
Otherwise we just end up with the same recycled garbage. Sadly I feel this is where Apple are at the moment so Androids only real challenger is Windows Phone 8 possibly. But then only mainly as it feels smooth and quick when I’ve used it, but now so does the latest Android offerings on modern phones

That’s an old article, yet still the numbers are relevant when talking about global market share. The world isn’t thrilled about iPhones or iOS. However, when you look into the US market share , it’s a way different race. Android has 53.6% market share (as of Q3) and Apple has 34.3% market share. Globally , yes Android is kicking the crap out of Apple because it runs on thousands of devices, where iOS runs on 4 or 5. Now, I am not supporting Crapple…err..Apple in anyway. I think they are a bunch of lying, patent trolling, stealing d!ck wagons that like to make a lot of commercials and pay for a lot of product placement in movies so you think they are the only product worth buying when it’s not.

I once read a quote that summed up the iPhone for me. The quote compared the iPhone to a Toyota Corolla.

{paraphrased} “…it’s boring but functional and get’s you to where you want to go. It upholds it’s resale value and your mom probably has one.”

But, for some people, that’s enough! That’s what they want and that’s what makes me sad.

So, IMHO, the fight isn’t between the OS’. It’s a marketing war. In which Android is just starting to fight via Samsung and the Nexus 7 commercials. Word of mouth has done great, and the limited commercial presence has been OK, but now that the manufacturers are stepping their ad game up, the market share for Android has skyrocketed.

What really needs to happen with all of the patent trolling that Apple has been doing is an overhaul of the US Patent Office and get rid of the “Don’t innovate, litigate.” stance Apple has now. When you have a level playing field with out the crying and whining, you will probably see some heated competition between Samsung/LG/HTC/ASUS…ect and Crapple…errr…I mean Apple.

Tl;Dr: Global Market share is wider than US Market share, iPhone is the mom-mobile of smartphones, Samsung makes awesome commercials and the US Patent system sucks.

I would agree with you on the marketing front. Apple has definitely won the marketing war in the past. I think you are right and that some of the phone makers are starting to use better ads to go along with their better phones.